Readers’ Choice: The Top 10 Books on Off the Shelf Right Now

From the beloved author of LITTLE BEE comes this masterful historical novel set in London during the blitz. Inspired by the real-life love letters between Chris Cleave’s grandparents, EVERYONE BRAVE IS FORGIVEN is a moving wartime love story. Against the great theater of world events, it is the small battles and the daily human triumphs that change us the most.

Read a review of EVERYONE BRAVE IS FORGIVEN here.

A spellbinding psychological thriller told in reverse, Megan Miranda’s first novel for adult readers is about the connected disappearances of two young women ten years apart in the same small town. Miranda has an uncanny talent for suspense. Megan Miranda’s new novel, THE PERFECT STRANGER, is just out.

Read a review of the book Megan Miranda can’t stop recommending.

With its white-knuckle plot and unforeseeable twists, it’s no wonder Off the Shelf readers consider THE PASSENGER a must-read. After leaving her husband’s body at the base of the stairs, Tanya flees town and meets an ally, Blue, along the way. From heart-stopping escapes to devious deceptions, readers are left to wonder: Can she possibly outrun her past?

Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose stubborn nonconformity was both their curse and their salvation. In this astonishing memoir—the basis of the forthcoming film starring Brie Larson—Walls recounts how her family’s dysfunction left her and her siblings to fend for themselves, weather their parents’ betrayals, and finally find the resources and will to leave home.

Read a review of THE GLASS CASTLE here.

An evocative tale of gaslit Victorian London, MAYHEM is based on a true but overlooked series of ghastly murders that took place at the same time as the Jack the Ripper killings. With breathless pacing, sinister suspense, and plenty of shocking twists, this is a perfect read for historical fiction and true-crime fans.

After a terrible accident leaves her best friend in a coma, Shelby drops out of her life in suburban Long Island and moves to New York City. What follows is a tale—sprinkled with Alice Hoffman’s signature magical realism—of a girl struggling to find her way in the world. With the help of her new family, a series of anonymous postcards, and a mysterious guardian angel, Shelby learns that she can not only survive, but thrive—if she is willing to stay out of her own way.

Most librarians are bad-ass, but the librarians in this true story about mild-mannered archivists saving ancient Arabic texts from Al-Qaeda take the definition to a whole new level. In the 1980s, a young adventurous collector from the legendary city of Timbuktu tracked down and salvaged tens of thousands of manuscripts. But when Al-Qaeda imposed Sharia law in 2012, their safety was immediately threatened. This remarkable tale about how a band of academics smuggled volumes out from under militants is a triumphant illustration of the power of literature.

“The novel is comprised of vignettes, images, fragments of conversations, events—all building powerfully toward the completed group portrait of a family, closely knit on the surface but deeply divided by loneliness, boredom, misunderstandings, isolation, sexual longing, and terminal isolation. In this special fiftieth anniversary edition, we are reminded once again why MRS. BRIDGE has been hailed by readers and critics alike as one of the greatest novels in American literature.” —Eric Puchner, author of LAST DAY ON EARTH

Read a review of MRS. BRIDGE here.

Far from the casinos and lights, the Las Vegas suburbs sprawl out into the desert. In this desolate boomtown, three desperate souls—a middle-aged woman attempting to revive her marriage, a veteran just returned from Iraq, and a brave eight-year-old Albanian boy—must decide whether to give in to despair, or to find the courage and resilience to rise. Laura McBride’s second novel, ‘ROUND MIDNIGHT, has just been published.

In 1776, 21-year-old Mack McAsh escapes from the coal mines of Scotland where he’s worked for years in hopes of making a better life for himself in London. There, he becomes a leader in a working-class movement, but his involvement eventually results in his exile to the new colony of Virginia. A PLACE CALLED FREEDOM features a vivid cast of heroes and villains (including some familiar faces) that tell of the classic American quest for freedom.